


Galentine's Day

by RelenaForPresident



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Awkward Romance, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Love Confessions, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Sexy Times, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:36:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelenaForPresident/pseuds/RelenaForPresident
Summary: Thank you again to Rose and Wings for hosting this challenge, and to my partner in crime Scarlet_Eve for helping me pull off yet another citrusy adventure for this challenge! This is the unofficial sequel to Scarlet's amazing work, "Drinking Buddies" (which, if you haven't read yet, you seriously should!). Hope you enjoy! And happy belated Galentine's Day :D
Relationships: Chang Wufei/Sally Po, Dorothy Catalonia/Quatre Raberba Winner, Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker, Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton & Catherine Bloom, Trowa Barton/Sylvia Noventa
Comments: 14
Kudos: 22
Collections: Church of Lemons 2021





	Galentine's Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scarlet_eve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlet_eve/gifts).



The parlor in the sprawling estate was dripping in Valentine’s Day-themed decor-- pink, red and white paper lanterns and white fairy lights strung along the gilded ceiling; the dining table covered in a pink tablecloth with red cloth napkins and white, heart-shaped lace doilies; with a giant centerpiece made up of red roses, and smaller vases of pink roses at each place setting. If Relena Darlian were being honest, it was all a bit much, but she supposed it was a welcome respite from the dreary February weather Brussels was currently experiencing.

And, anyway, she’d expect nothing less from her hostess, who loved a theme.

“Thank you all for coming to my Galentine’s Day brunch,” Dorothy Catalonia said without a trace of irony, for once. She clasped a hand to her chest. “You are all strong, beautiful, powerful women whom I admire so much.”

Sally shot Dorothy an indolent grin over her fruity cocktail. “Hey, you didn’t have to tell me twice. I love brunch. Perfect excuse to drink before noon and no one can judge you for it.”

Next to her Cathy burst into giggles. “I’ll cheers to that!” She clinked her glass against Sally’s.

Relena sighed and sipped her tea. “I can’t drink now. I have to get back to work after this.”

The other women all gaped at her. “You know it’s Saturday, right?” Hilde blinked at Relena. “Can’t you take a weekend off?”

“Yeah, even I managed to take it off, and my manager is relentless about weekend practice, even in winter,” Cathy sighed before taking a long sip of her pink beverage.

Relena pursed her lips. “I don’t know… I suppose I could finish up work tomorrow…”

“What about Valentine’s Day?” Hilde pressed.

“Yeah? Don’t you have plans?” Cathy prodded.

Relena flushed to her hairline. “No.”

Four pairs of eyebrows rose in surprise. Dorothy rolled her eyes nearly to outer space. 

“We all know what _should_ happen, don’t we ladies?” Dorothy said, stepping around the table to place her hands on Relena’s shoulders, who was still flushing a bright red color. “Relena needs to learn to play baseball and hit a home run.” 

“Didn’t know you could make sports euphemisms, Dorothy,” Hilde said with a laugh. Dorothy flicked her hair behind her and gave a haughty shake of her head. 

“I was trying to put it in terms you’d all relate to,” Dorothy explained. 

Sally chuckled into her drink while Relena protested, “I don’t really relate to baseball analogies…”

“I do!” Cathy said gleefully. “Ay, batta batta! Swing, batta!”

She and Dorothy cackled together, which was quite a sight to behold.

Relena cleared her throat and reached for her tea cup once more, taking a dainty sip. 

“Come on, Relena, it’s not that hard to catch on,” Hilde piped up next to her. “Just like with any sport, the objective is always to score.”

Dorothy’s violet eyes glinted. “Unless you prefer to just watch the boys play with their balls.”

Relena nearly choked on her chamomile while Hilde sputtered a laugh. “Now that,” the petite brunette said, jabbing a finger at Dorothy, “I was not expecting from you.”

Dorothy shrugged nonchalantly and returned to her seat. “There’s plenty more fun where that came from. Ladies, check under your chairs!” She clapped her hands together as each of the women looked under their seats and pulled out hot pink gift bags stuffed with glittery, heart-patterned tissue paper.

“Good lord, Dorothy!” Cathy cried. She pulled out a slim white box, with a picture of a small, purple vibrator. The other ladies pulled out similar boxes, but in varying colors. Relena’s was pink, of course. Dorothy pulled a box out from under her chair, revealing a gold vibrator. 

“They’re custom made for each of you,” Dorothy snickered. 

Sally quirked a brow. “How so?”

“You know, color, speeds, potential partner influence…” Dorothy ticked off her fingers. “I used only the best market research.” 

“You’ve been spying,” Sally commented. Dorothy shrugged. 

“You better not have cameras at my place, watching me sleep!” Cathy warned playfully as she dug through the rest of her bag, revealing a bottle of Dom Perignon. “Ooh, Dorothy, you shouldn’t have!”

“And chocolate!” Hilde exclaimed, holding up a box of truffles. “Yay!”

Relena couldn’t believe the others had moved on from the whole vibrator thing so quickly. “Um,” she said meekly, her cheeks flaming. She stuffed the white box back in the bag, and looked inside for something else to rave over, when she caught Dorothy smirking at her.

“Wondering how to use it, doll?”

Relena stiffened. “I’m not going to dignify that question with a response.”

“That’s a ‘no,’” Cathy said, and Hilde snorted. 

“Sorry, Relena,” Hilde added, patting the Vice Foreign Minister’s hand. 

“A-N-Y-way,” Dorothy said, speaking over the group. “I hope you all left room for dessert.” 

“On top of the truffles?” Hilde asked. Dorothy winked. She disappeared through the swinging door into the kitchen. The others sat silently as they waited for… whatever Dorothy had in mind. 

The door to the kitchen swung open, and three scantily clad men stepped into the parlor. They wore bow ties around their necks and apparently had no problem showing off their banana hammocks. Relena shrieked and covered her eyes while the other girls cheered. Dorothy stepped back into the dining room carrying a black speaker which was playing some type of music Relena had never heard before. It was bass-heavy and instantly gave her a headache. 

“I’m going to need a stronger drink,” she whispered to Hilde.

“Don’t worry babe, I got you.” Hilde signaled for one of Dorothy’s male - and, of course, attractive - waitstaff that she’d hired just for the occasion. Thankfully, there was already a pitcher made up of whatever sweet drink everyone else was already imbibing, so the waiter merely had to fetch Relena a glass, since she’d demured when he’d offered one to her earlier. She felt a little silly caving in, but, well… when in Rome? Or, in this case, Dorothy Catalonia’s parlor.

The waiter returned with Relena’s drink, and she gulped it down way faster than she should have. Already, her head was starting to spin, but overall it was a pleasant feeling. And she had to admit, sitting there with her friends, watching a bunch of handsome, chiseled, nearly naked men strutting their stuff… Things could have been worse, she reasoned.

“What is this stuff, anyway?” she whispered to Hilde.

“Um, some kind of bellini, I think?” her dark-haired friend answered her without taking her eyes off the trio of dancers. 

“It’s gooood,” Relena slurred. 

Hilde giggled. “You should have some more, then.”

“Omigod, Relena’s tipsy!” Cathy shrieked a laugh. “Too funny!”

“Am not…” But she clearly was. 

“Looks like someone can’t hold her liquor,” Sally teased.

“Shh!” Relena glared at the Preventer across the table. “These lovely men are trying to perform for us, and you’re being very rude.”

Cathy and Sally looked at one another and howled with laughter. Hilde giggled behind her hand.

“On second thought, maybe you’re cut off, babe.”

“No one’s cut off at Dorothy’s,” the hostess herself announced. “And anyway, none of you are driving.” She snapped her fingers at the waiter from earlier. “Marcus! More bellinis, if you would.”

“What, did you replace all our cars with vibrators?” Sally asked, leaning back in her chair, sipping her bellini. 

“Might as well have,” Cathy quipped. “She replaced all our men with vibrators.”

“Speak for yourself,” Hilde said, smirking. “I prefer to teach my man how to use it on me.”

“Smart,” Dorothy chimed in. “There’s no sense in discarding a perfectly adequate vibrator-operator, if you have one.”

For some reason, this struck Relena as hilarious, and she burst out laughing. Only problem was, once she started, she couldn’t stop. She laid her head in her arms and laughed and laughed, until she thought she might fall out of her chair.

“Oh, so _now_ she gets the vibrator jokes?” she heard Cathy say.

“What vibrator jokes?” a low, sultry female voice said from behind Relena. 

Relena picked her head up off the table and swiveled around in her seat, locking eyes with… Sylvia Noventa. Relena stared up at the blonde woman, not knowing what to say. They hadn’t seen one another in... years.

Thankfully, Sylvia spoke first. “Relena,” she said. “How lovely to see you.” There was no warmth in her expression whatsoever.

“Ah, likewise,” Relena stammered, remembering her manners.

“Who is that?” Cathy whispered to Sally.

“Sylvia Noventa,” Sally answered her, not bothering to lower her voice.

Sylvia’s gaze flicked to Sally. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Oh, right, introductions.” Dorothy swept a hand toward her newly-arrived guest. “Ladies, this is Sylvia Noventa. For those of you who don’t already know her, I’m sure the name ‘Noventa’ rings a bell…”

Sylvia cleared her throat, cutting Dorothy off. “I’d rather not get into that, if you don’t mind.”

Dorothy’s eyes narrowed. Relena knew her friend well enough to know that Dorothy did not tolerate interruptions like that. But their hostess plastered an icy smile on her face. “Of course not,” she cooed. Then she proceeded to introduce Sylvia to everyone else, and to Relena’s horror, one of Dorothy’s waiters fetched Sylvia a chair. The other women moved to make room at the table.

“What is she doing here?” Relena leaned over and whispered to Dorothy, as subtly as she possibly could while inebriated. “Was she even invited?”

“Of course she was invited,” Dorothy replied. “No one just waltzes into my home uninvited.” She tossed her hair, as if for emphasis, and smiled sweetly over at Sylvia, who was watching the two of them closely.

 _Oops._ Relena supposed she wasn’t being very subtle after all.

“Okay… but why?” Relena pressed, once she was certain Sylvia’s attention was focused elsewhere. In that moment, Relena was grateful for the male dancers.

“Why?” Dorothy echoed, pausing to sip her bellini. “Because,” she answered after a moment, “all of the women in this room have one important thing in common.”

Relena’s brows knit together. “What’s that?”

Dorothy clasped her hands in front of her, her eyes glimmering. “We all love the Gundam pilots.”

Something flamed in Relena’s chest-- a possessive, jealous feeling she didn’t recognize. But now she remembered exactly why she didn’t like Sylvia Noventa; the two of them had far too many things in common, from their pacifistic father figures who were both assassinated during the Eve Wars, to their not-so-secret crushes on the same boy. Who was no longer a boy, which made the issue all the more dire, in Relena’s mind. Because now, Heero was a grown man with desires, and Sylvia was a grown woman - and a very pretty one, at that - and if she ever made a play for Heero… Relena didn’t know what she’d do. At the very least, she’d be forced to show her hand. And while she suspected Heero had picked up on her feelings for him by now, she wasn’t quite confident enough to approach him about this just yet. Heero was extremely intelligent, but when it came to matters of the heart, she assumed he was as inexperienced as she was. But then again, what did she really know about his personal life?

Relena must have looked as miserable as she felt, because Dorothy gave her a pity-filled look. “Please don’t look so tragic,” Dorothy sighed. “Just think of all you two have in common! I’m sure you have plenty to catch up on.”

Those were the exact words Dorothy had used the last time she’d tried to set Relena and Heero up, by luring them to her place with clues regarding a terrorist plot they’d both been investigating, separately. _“I’m sure you two have plenty to catch up on!”_ Dorothy had snickered, then disappeared to let Relena and Heero “talk.” Of course, all they talked about was the mission at hand, much to Dorothy’s disappointment. 

_“That’s it? No passionate reunion?”_

Relena flushed at the memory. Heero was totally stone-faced the entire time, so Relena couldn’t even tell if Dorothy’s meddling affected him or not. Then again, he’d always been pretty good at steeling his expressions, other than the few times Relena caught him emoting. And those times, though few and far between, gave her hope that the two of them might actually have a chance at being more than friends… or whatever they were. She liked to think of Heero as a friend, anyway, although she had no idea what status he assigned her in his mind. But even though they rarely saw one another these days, he always seemed to show up whenever Relena really needed him… almost as if she had the power to conjure him out of thin air, when it mattered most.

 _I wish he’d show up now, and rescue me from this stupid party._ Relena reached for her drink, hoping she hadn’t said those words out loud. Dorothy was smirking at her, so maybe her so-called friend had developed the ability to read minds? Now _that_ was a terrifying thought…

“Yes, Relena,” Sylvia said, taking a seat beside her at the table, the chair Dorothy had suspiciously vacated a few seconds prior. “How _is_ Heero?” 

“I uh… I don’t…” Relena fumbled for something to say. Did she even know _how_ he was? 

“You don’t what?” Sylvia asked, plastering an innocent expression on her face. Relena narrowed her eyes. 

“He’s doing very well, actually,” she finally said, straightening her shoulders. Sylvia smirked. 

“I’m sure.” She tilted her head to the side. “The last time I saw him, which was just a few weeks ago, he was looking very well, all right.”

Relena clamped her jaw shut before it could hit the floor. “Oh?” she managed to eke out.

“Oh, yes,” Sylvia said, triumph dancing in her eyes. Relena glanced at Dorothy, who was also smirking. What in the Earth Sphere was going on?

“The anniversary of my grandfather’s death was a few weeks ago. Heero left flowers at his grave,” Sylvia said nonchalantly. “Of course I’m sure he does the same for your father?”

Relena felt the blood drain from her face. She had no idea if Heero did the same for her adoptive father, the late Vice Foreign Minister Darlian. His gravesite was in Japan, and Relena herself hadn’t been able to make it back there to leave her own flowers. Which she felt terribly guilty about, but her mother, Mareen, always assured Relena that she left flowers for the both of them.

“We chatted for a long time,” Sylvia said. “We walked around the graveyard oh, six or seven times.” Relena pursed her lips together. “We talked about everything under the sun.” 

“What did you talk about?” Dorothy asked, her eyes dancing in mirth. “Please, do go on.” Dorothy plucked a truffle from the platter on the sideboard and popped it in her mouth. 

“Oh, we talked about how life has been since the Eve Wars of 196, what he’s been up to, and all that,” Sylvia answered. “He told me all about his college experience and working for the Preventers. He even told me about a girl he’s been seeing.” 

Relena gaped at Sylvia while Dorothy snorted in the corner. 

“I want to hear more about this _girl_ ,” Hilde quipped. “Please, tell us more.” Relena wasn’t sure if everyone noticed the heavy sarcasm in Hilde’s voice. Sylvia’s lips formed into a secretive smile. 

“Oh, he made me _promise_ I wouldn’t tell _anyone_ ,” she said. “It’s top secret.” She pressed a finger to her lips and mimed turning a key. 

Relena’s mind was spinning. What girl? Heero had never told her anything about some girl. And even if there was someone, why would he tell Sylvia and not her? Her bafflement quickly turned to indignation. How dare he confide in Sylvia and not her. But no, Relena chided herself, that wasn’t fair of her; she didn’t get to dictate who Heero Yuy was friends with. He would never demand such a thing from her, after all.

Relena tried to think of something to say, but her mouth had gone dry. She needed water. She looked around for a pitcher, but there wasn’t any; only more bellini mix. The other girls were still sucking down their drinks like they were going out of style, while looking between Relena and Sylvia like a God-blessed tennis match was taking place before their very eyes. Relena needed to sober up, and quickly, if she was going to stay on top of this little battle of wits that seemed to be playing out.

But to Relena’s chagrin, it seemed the games were just beginning.

“Okay, everyone!” Dorothy clapped her hands together to get the group’s attention, while summarily dismissing the dancers. “Let’s move on to our next activity, shall we?”

“Ooh, are we gonna play a game?” Cathy giggled. “This oughta be a hoot.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about you all but I’m pretty much drunk off my ass,” Sally announced. Hilde snorted a laugh.

“Same,” the brunette admitted, giving Relena a lazy smile. “What about you, doll? How you holding up?”

“I’m fine,” Relena lied. “I think my buzz has pretty much wore off.” She did only have the two drinks; she couldn’t be that drunk already, could she?

Hilde peered at her through one eye. “Nahhh… you’re sloshed,” she said decidedly.

Relena’s face burned. “Am not.”

“Are three,” Hilde shot back.

“Ladies!” Dorothy bellowed above them all. 

“Yeah, everyone shut up! I wanna know what we’re playing,” Cathy said, rising from her seat, swaying slightly. “I hope it’s darts! I’m gonna smoke all of you.”

“No, it’s not darts,” Dorothy sighed, sinking her cheek into her palm. “Do you even see a dartboard around here? Honestly...”

Cathy sank back into her chair, looking disappointed. “Bummer. This better be good, then.”

“The game is called....” Dorothy drawled. “Never have I ever.” 

“Psh, that’s a kid’s game,” Hilde said. Dorothy smirked. 

“Not this version.” 

“Might as well play spin the bottle,” Hilde said. 

“Maybe later,” Dorothy replied with a wink. A brief, uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Relena squirmed in her chair as Dorothy made eye contact with each of them. “Well…who wants to start?” 

“You should start,” Sally offered. “It’s your party.”

“I’ll start,” Sylvia cut in. Dorothy shot her an icy glare.

“I decide who starts,” she snapped. “We were going to flip for it, but fine, go ahead.” She waved a hand at Sylvia. “You start.”

“I could literally flip for it,” Cathy mumbled, but Relena might have been the only one who heard her.

Dorothy snapped her fingers together. “I almost forgot! We need shots.”

“Shots?” Relena groaned. Great, just what they needed…

“Shots! Shots! Shots!” Hilde rotated her fist in the air.

“Slow down, Schbeiker,” Cathy teased. “Why do I have a feeling you’re gonna drink us all under the table?”

“Ha! Yeah right, Bloom. I bet you’ll win the game, easily.” Hilde grinned, leaning over the table toward Cathy. “And by that I mean you’re gonna lose.”

“Huh?” Relena looked between the other women, but she had no idea what they were talking about.

“No way,” Sally said. “Dorothy’s gonna lose.”

“Does everyone know the rules?” Dorothy asked as a waiter brought out several shot glasses and set them in front of each woman. At the center of the table, he placed a glass bottle filled with clear liquid. “Whoever’s turn it is says something they haven’t done. Then, if you _have_ done whatever it is, you take a shot.” At that, Dorothy opened the bottle and poured some liquor into each glass. A strong, nostril-burning stench, like rubbing alcohol, filled the air. Relena wrinkled her nose.

“That’s not how I always played it,” Hilde interjected. “You don’t have to just say things you haven’t done; it can be anything. That way if you _have_ done something and want to see who else has…” Her eyes had a mischievous glint. 

Sally chuckled. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess there isn’t a whole lot this group hasn’t done at this point.”

“Right? It’s not like anyone in this room is a virgin,” Cathy said with a laugh.

The others joined in her laughter. Relena started laughing, too, albeit a little too late. She dropped her gaze to her lap, wishing she were anywhere else.

Her mother had always taught her that virginity was something to be proud of, but Relena was starting to have her doubts. Clearly it wasn’t something this group held in high esteem… Would everyone think she was a big baby when they found out the truth?

“Ooh, I have a good one!” Sally said, disrupting Relena’s wayward thoughts.

“It’s my turn,” Sylvia snapped.

“Whatever.” Sally barrelled ahead. “Never have I ever… kissed a Gundam pilot.”

Sally waited a beat, then took a shot. At the same time, Hilde, Dorothy and Cathy reached for their glasses. Relena’s mind whirred… Technically, she hadn’t actually kissed anyone… but Heero had kissed her. At least she thought he had. Sometimes the memory seemed so unreal to her, she thought she’d imagined it. At this point she was half-convinced it was a figment of her imagination. But when she saw Sylvia reach for her own shot glass and down it, Relena’s stomach clenched. Surely, the other girl had to be lying. Well, two could play at that game… Relena quickly downed her own shot, then instantly regretted it as the alcohol burned the back of her throat. 

“Very nice, ladies,” Dorothy purred. Then she frowned over at Cathy. “Wait… you too?”

Cathy just shrugged while everyone gaped at her.

“Um,” Sally said with a nervous laugh, “isn’t Trowa your brother?”

“Who said anything about Trowa?” Cathy said, shrugging again. 

“Wait, Trowa’s your brother?” Sylvia asked, and Cathy nodded. “He’s hot,” Sylvia added. The rest of the room tittered their agreement.

“I know, right?” Cathy beamed as if she was especially proud of this fact.

Sally arched a brow, but said nothing more on the matter. “Okay, who’s up?” She reached for the bottle of booze and refilled all the glasses.

“Me!” Hilde shot her hand up, while Sylvia glared at her. Hilde barreled ahead, ignoring the girl seated between her and Dorothy. “Never have I ever…” Hilde said, pausing for effect, a smile playing on her lips. “Made out with a Gundam pilot.”

“I already did that one,” Sally complained. 

“No, you said _kissed_.” Hilde wagged a finger. “That could be any kind of kiss.”

Sally shook her head. “Not what I meant.”

“That’s how I took it,” Cathy said. “I kiss my brother on the cheek.”

“See?” Hilde said. 

“Okay, from now on we’re talking about sexual contact only,” Sally clarified. “Got it?”

“Got it,” everyone except for Relena chorused. 

“Fine, I’m changing mine,” Hilde said. “Never have I ever _hooked up_ with a Gundam pilot.”

Once again, everyone at the table took their shot, and Relena hesitated. Okay, but did kissing count as hooking up? To some people it did, right? Whatever, she didn’t want to be left out, so she threw back her next shot. It tasted just as foul as the first one, but somehow burned her throat a little less.

“Wait, Cathy, again?” Sally gaped at her. “I thought we made it really clear this time what we’re talking about here…”

“Yeah, so?” Cathy splayed her hands. 

“Ugh, please don’t tell me you actually make out with your brother!” Hilde howled, while Relena’s stomach dropped.

“Come on, you guys. He’s not even my real brother.” Cathy folded her arms across her chest. 

The room erupted into shrieks of laughter.

“Oh, my,” Dorothy murmured. “This is going even better than I thought…”

“Anyway,” Cathy yelled above the din. “Whoever said anything about Trowa? I could be talking about anyone.”

“Any Gundam pilot,” Hilde clarified.

“Uh-huh.” Cathy gave her a wicked smile.

“Okay, which Gundam pilot have you hooked up with?” Hilde pressed.

“Or _pilots_ ,” Dorothy added, smiling deviously.

“That’s not how the game is played,” Cathy retorted. “I don’t have to answer that.” She flicked her gaze over to Relena, and her smile broadened. “Wait, Relena… you took a shot too, right?”

Relena flushed. “Ah…”

“She did!” Hilde screeched, and elbowed Relena. “Good for you, girl. I was kinda starting to worry.”

“Really?” Relena’s brows shot up.

“Yeah,” Hilde continued. “‘Bout time you and Heero finally did the deed.”

The women all giggled, except for Sylvia. Relena’s face flamed.

“This game is so juvenile,” Sylvia whined.

“Is someone jealous?” Dorothy cooed. Sylvia rolled her eyes.

“Why would I be jealous?”

“Wait, Sylvia, you also took a shot!” Cathy jabbed a finger in the other girl’s direction. “So, who did you hook up with?”

Sylvia smirked at her. “You wouldn’t tell, so why should I?” 

“Yeah, the game is ‘never have I ever,’ not kiss and tell,” Hilde said, adding sheepishly, “but we all know who _some people_ have been with because it’s so obvious.” She winked at Relena.

“You and Duo are obvious,” Sally chuckled. Hilde’s brows shot up.

“Oh, yeah? Well you and Wufei are an HR problem,” Hilde shot back.

“There is nothing inappropriate about our relationship,” Sally snarled, slapping the table with her hand. “This one, however…” She jerked a thumb at Cathy, who gasped.

“Rude!”

Relena’s eyes were widening at each fresh accusation the women flung at one another across the table. She glanced over at Dorothy, who was leaning back in her chair, smiling a Cheshire cat’s smile.

“Isn’t this fun?” Dorothy sighed. “We need to get all the girls together more often.”

Relena shook her head at Dorothy. “You’re terrible.”

Dorothy flicked her gaze to Relena. “What?”

“You’re enjoying this.”

Dorothy looked nonplussed. “Of course I’m enjoying this; it’s my party.”

Relena frowned at the hostess, trying to think of something else to say, but her thoughts were jumbled. She decided then and there that she was done taking shots, whether the game continued or not. But with the others still trading barbs back and forth - playful or not, Relena couldn’t tell - the game was apparently over. Relieved, Relena folded her arms on the table and lowered her head. She was going to rest, just for a few minutes…

Relena didn’t know how she managed to drift off in the middle of a brunch party, but the pull of all the liquor she’d consumed in such a brief amount of time proved too strong to keep her awake. When she did come to, the room had descended into utter chaos.

The first thing Relena noticed was the flash of blue and red sirens reflected in the glass panes of Dorothy’s French doors and picture windows. Frowning, Relena lifted her head - it was _so_ heavy - her eyes flying open as the familiar uniformed figures came into focus.

“Wha…” Her lips were stuck together, her throat dry, as she tried to force out words. “Wha’s happening?”

And then a pair of striking, all-too-familiar blue eyes swam in her vision, along with that impossibly handsome face that haunted her most secret dreams…and it was scowling at her. Realization slammed into her, and she bolted up in her seat.

“Heero?! What are you doing here?”

“Getting you out of here,” he muttered, his scowl deepening. “False alarm,” he turned and called to someone over his shoulder.

“I mean, _I_ felt it was a legitimate emergency. She could have dropped dead for all we knew!” Relena heard Dorothy saying. Relena swiveled to see her platinum blonde friend, who stood talking with Wufei and Sally. 

“Then why didn’t you just call emergency services?” Wufei was practically yelling, making Relena’s head pound even more than it already was.

“Because the Vice Foreign Minister’s health and wellbeing are sensitive manners, wouldn’t you say? I can’t just let her be carted her off to some _public_ hospital,” Dorothy huffed, giving her hair a toss. Dorothy caught Relena’s eye and winked. Relena spun around in her seat to look back at Heero, nearly giving herself whiplash in the process.

“I… I don’t understand…”

“Just come with me,” Heero said gruffly. He looked absolutely infuriated. Worry and shame churned in Relena’s stomach.

Heero stood from his kneeling position - God, Heero Yuy had just been _kneeling_ before her, and Relena barely had time to appreciate the moment - and stalked towards the French doors that led to the mansion’s courtyard. There, Relena glimpsed at least three black Preventers SUVs parked haphazardly on the snow piles that dotted the cobblestone pathways. She blinked. Just how many agents had rushed to the scene, only to find out that nothing was even wrong? _Oof._ No wonder Heero was pissed.

Scrambling after Heero, Relena saw Trowa had also responded to Dorothy’s “emergency call.” But he didn’t look bothered in the least. In fact, he was chatting amiably with Cathy, who was throwing her head back, laughing. Relena looked around for Hilde, but the brunette was noticeably absent. Well, maybe Duo had shown up, too, and whisked her away somewhere.

“Okay sis, you’re definitely too drunk to drive,” Trowa was speaking in that calm, almost expressionless manner he had. “I’m going to load up your bike.”

“No waaaay! Let’s just ride it together!” Cathy laughed and slumped against Trowa, whose brows knitted together.

“Guys, can I get a little help here?” 

“I have to drive this one’s car,” Wufei grunted, jerking a thumb towards Sally.

“Awww, Wuffy,” Sally chortled.

Wufei paled. “Good grief woman, how much have you had to drink?”

The reminder of just how much Relena had imbibed chose to resurface just then. Or maybe it was the actual remnants of all the booze, churning around in her stomach… Before she could reach the French doors, where Heero stood waiting for her with his back turned… Relena bent over, and retched all over Dorothy’s shiny hardwood floors.

A hush fell over the parlor, and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the Vice Foreign Minister, crumpled on the floor, hurling her guts out. Relena thought she heard someone like Duo yell, “Sick!” So evidently, he was around there somewhere. Not that it made any difference… Relena was mortified. She’d just thrown up in front of nearly everyone she cared about and respected most. Now, they were all looking at her like she was some pathetic loser with a drinking problem… 

Relena groaned and folded over herself. Maybe if she curled up into a little ball and wished hard enough, she could make herself disappear…

But no such luck. She heard the others murmuring various things; Dorothy asking someone to bring water and towels; the other women asking Relena if she was okay; the rushing around of Dorothy’s staff to accommodate her latest commands. And then Relena was keenly aware of another presence, crouching beside her, resting a strong hand on her back.

“Feel better?” The deep baritone was almost sarcastic. Relena peered up at Heero through her curtain of bangs.

“Not really,” she groaned, clutching her abdomen.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Heero took hold of Relena under her arms and gently tugged her upward, guiding her to a standing position. She leaned against him, grateful for his support, even though she couldn’t help but feel like he was judging her; how could he not? She wanted to bury her face in his chest and cry, but now definitely wasn’t the time; and anyway, he was probably disgusted by her.

“Heero!” 

Relena wrenched her head up at the intrusion. Sylvia Noventa was running up to them, her eyes fixed on the object of her affection. Relena didn’t know where Sylvia had been, but clearly she’d missed most of the excitement.

“Huh?” Heero turned toward Sylvia, his brow creasing. “Sylvia Noventa? What are you doing here?”

A grin split her face. “I was about to ask the same of--”

To Relena’s utter astonishment, Sylvia’s foot caught on something, and she went from walking briskly one second to slipping and falling backward, landing right on her ass. Relena gasped, her jaw dropping as she beheld Sylvia Noventa, splayed out on the wood floor, in a puddle of Relena’s vomit.

Relena’s hand flew to cover her mouth. “Oh my God, Sylvia--”

But Relena’s words were swallowed by Sylvia’s shriek piercing the air. And then, to Relena’s horror, almost everyone in the room started to laugh. Wufei was, perhaps, the loudest of all, which shocked Relena, because she wasn’t sure she’d ever heard him laugh before. But even Trowa Barton was laughing. She could also make out Hilde and Duo snickering, somewhere, even though Relena still had no idea where they’d gone… probably making out in a closet, or something.

Relena chanced a look up at Heero, who was the only one besides her who wasn’t laughing… although if she wasn’t mistaken, she thought she saw the corners of his mouth twitch, ever so slightly. He slid his gaze to hers, and any amusement Relena thought she’d detected vanished.

“Let’s get out of here,” he muttered.

But then the room burst into a flurry of activity again. One of the waiters handed Relena a glass of water; someone else arrived with a mop and bucket, while a few men, including Trowa, helped Sylvia up from the floor. She did not seem to appreciate his efforts, though.

“You laughed at me,” she pouted.

“Sorry,” Trowa said nonchalantly. “You have to admit, it was objectively funny.”

Sylvia huffed and stormed off, throwing another icy glare in Relena’s direction. “Unbelievable,” Sylvia seethed as she passed Relena and Heero. 

“Marcus, would you be a dear and show Miss Noventa to the washroom? Thank you.” Dorothy was still smiling that perfectly feline smile of hers. Relena sighed and turned back to Heero, only to catch Trowa watching Sylvia walking out of the room, his gaze dipping - ever so briefly - to her rear end before his face returned to its usual mask.

“Trowa!” Relena gasped, seemingly unable to control the volume of her voice. He swung his impassive gaze over to her.

“Yes?”

“Did you hook up with Sylvia Noventa?”

His lips creased. “I beg your pardon?”

“Trowaaaaa!” Cathy drawled. “I knew it!” Relena couldn’t tell if Cathy was scolding or cheering him.

A long silence passed between the group. Eventually, Trowa gave a careless shrug. “If anything, I was only following in Heero’s example.”

Relena felt her chest constrict. “You what?” She turned to look back at Heero. “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” He frowned down at her.

Relena’s heart was thrashing so wildly, she thought it might fly right out of her chest. “Did you hook up with Sylvia?”

“Did I what?” Heero looked positively baffled, for a change. He turned to Trowa, whose shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. “What?” Heero pressed.

“Not what I meant,” Trowa said, his eyes gleaming. “I was just saying that Heero taught me to always act on one’s emotions.”

“Really?” Relena whirled on Heero, planting her hands on her hips. “Is that right?”

Heero’s mouth fell open, and his brows knit together. “Relena…”

“Are we finally about to get a love confession?” Dorothy crowed. “Just in time for Valentine’s Day, too. Duo, Hilde, hurry or you’ll miss it!”

“Dorothy!” Relena gasped, her face heating. “Stop it!”

Just then Duo and Hilde emerged from the nearby coat closet, looking quite disheveled. Both their faces were flushed, their eyes bright.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Duo held both his hands up. “What’d I miss?”

“Yeah, Relena!” Hilde cried, clambering around Duo. “What’s going on?”

“You missed Sylvia Noventa slipping on Relena’s vomit,” Trowa informed them. Duo waved a hand. 

“Naw, we heard all that. Funny stuff.” Duo shot an indolent grin at Heero. “So, buddy boy, ready to take the plunge?”

Heero’s eyes were glued to the ceiling. Relena wondered, too, if he were silently wishing he wasn’t there.

“I love it when you pretend you can’t hear me,” Duo groused. 

“Okay,” Relena sighed, more than ready for this bizarre day to end. “Time to go.”

“Finally.” Heero yanked her by the arm, not so gently this time, and started dragging her towards the exit.

“Wait, Heero! I need my purse and coat,” Relena cried.

“Here you go.” Hilde retrieved Relena’s items from the closet and handed them over with a sheepish grin. “Have fun, you two!”

Heero’s eyes rolled while Relena pulled on her coat and shouldered her bag.

“Don’t forget your gift!” Dorothy sauntered up to Relena, dangling the hot pink gift bag.

“Oh, right. Thanks.” Relena wasn’t so sure she even wanted Dorothy’s “gifts,” but remembered that those included some champagne, truffles and face masks. The other “gift” could go right in the trash for all she cared.

“Call me if you want a demonstration on how it works!” Dorothy called, as if reading Relena’s mind, stopping her in her tracks.

“Ew,” she shuddered, turning to gape at Dorothy over her shoulder. “You’re joking, right?”

Dorothy smiled and shrugged. “You’ll see what I mean. Happy Galentine’s Day, doll!”

“Happy Galentine’s Day!” Cathy, Hilde and Sally echoed, waving as Relena left the parlor, following Heero out into the winter’s cold.

During the ride to Relena’s townhouse, Heero seemed to be doing his best impression of a statue. His eyes were fixed dead ahead, his face stony, his jaw clamped shut. Relena knew he must be angry with her, but it had been a long time since she’d seen him so livid. Relena felt terrible, but she had already apologized to him for her behavior, and thanked him for coming to get her, despite the non-emergency situation. He’d barely acknowledged her with a grunt. They drove in total silence for most of the ride home, until Relena heard her phone buzzing in her purse.

Hilde’s name was flashing on the caller ID. Relena answered immediately. “Hey, Hild. Is everything all right?”

“Oh yeah, everything’s great!” Hilde slurred. Apparently the party was still in full swing. “Wufei and Sally just left, but I talked Duo into taking the rest of the day off.”

“Ah, fun,” Relena commented, not knowing what else to say. 

“You missed the best part of the party!” Hilde cried. 

“Oh, really?” Relena pursed her lips.

“Yeah! Dorothy showed us how to use the magic vibrator.” Hilde snorted.

Relena’s stomach lurched. “She what?!”

Hilde erupted into laughter. “Not like that! She just showed us how it works.”

“Um, okay..."

“Nooo,” Hilde sighed. “Hold on, I’ll show you… Dor, what’s Relena’s code!” she yelled. Relena winced at the volume of Hilde’s voice in her ear. “Okay, ready?”

 _Ready for what?_ “Ready,” she sighed, realizing she must be sobering up, because her friends’ antics were no longer amusing.

A beat later, she heard another buzzing sound in the car, this time coming from the backseat. Relena saw Heero’s gaze flick back there briefly, discovering the source of the sound: the hot pink gift bag. Relena flushed, and she knew her face must have been the same color as the bag.

“Is it working?” Hilde asked.

“Ah…yes.”

“Haha, isn’t it awesome?!”

“Uh, yeah? I guess.”

“Releeeeena,” Hilde groaned. “Don’t you get it? The vibrator can be controlled by a cell phone! So that means even when Heero’s far away, you two can still have some x-rated fun. Know what I’m saying?”

Relena nodded, her face still burning. “Uh, yeah, that’s great.”

Hilde giggled. “Enjoy, lovebirds!”

 _Oh God._ Relena hung up the phone, wondering how much of the conversation Heero had understood. Hopefully none of it. She snuck a sidelong glance at him, but as usual his soldier’s countenance gave nothing away. And all of a sudden, Relena was annoyed. What she wouldn’t give for one tiny glimpse of emotion from him, after all this time.

Sure, there had been moments in the past; but those were few and far between, and always left Relena longing for more. Much more. It wasn’t fair, she decided, to have all these complicated feelings toward someone who made you feel all those things - by actually doing things to prompt said feelings, like showing up unannounced, taking crazy risks on your behalf, even goddamned kissing you out of the blue - without ever acknowledging if any of it was even real.

Relena huffed and folded her arms over the front of her coat, her own irritation mounting by the second. 

Heero looked at her askance. “What’s wrong?” 

Relena was surprised, frankly, he’d even noticed. “Nothing,” she muttered.

Heero didn’t press the issue, and silence elapsed between them once again. Which was exactly what Relena expected to happen, but it only served to irk her even more.

Once they’d reached her townhouse on the outskirts of Brussels, and Heero had parked the car in her driveway, Relena was determined to get herself out of the car and storm into her house, and make sure Heero was on the other side of the door when she locked it. It didn’t take long for her plans to go awry. 

She wrenched the car door open and let herself out without waiting for Heero’s help, as planned. But once her high-heeled boots connected with the driveway, she realized it was covered in a sheet of ice. And before she even had a chance to right herself, Heero was beside her, only barely keeping her from falling on her ass.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, then chastised herself inwardly for being nice to him. He didn’t deserve it, did he? No, she decided. He’d jerked her around for far too long. Well, she was done waiting around for Heero Yuy to wake up and get a clue. She was going to give him a piece of her mind, she decided. It was a long time coming, and there was no time like the present.

But she’d at least wait until they were both inside her house to yell at him. No need to make a scene for the whole neighborhood to witness, Relena decided. And so she waited until Heero had escorted her safely into her foyer and locked the heavy oak door behind him to rip off her coat, fling it and her purse on the nearest hook, and plop the gift bag unceremoniously on the floor, stomping towards her staircase.

“Relena…”

She ignored him and continued her ascent, even though she had to grip the bannister to keep from wobbling on her way up. 

“Goodnight, Heero,” she said tersely, remembering then it wasn’t even nighttime. Was it even noon yet? Whatever.

“Stop before you hurt yourself.” Heero’s voice was rough and ragged in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck as he came up behind her and gripped her elbow. Relena sucked in a breath.

“Leave me alone.”

“Why?”

Her mind raced to come up with a reason, but… she was already faltering. “Um,” she started.

“What’s wrong?”

Something was wrong. She just couldn’t remember. _Damn it._ Her head was swimming, from the lingering effects of all the alcohol, and the scent of Heero’s aftershave, shampoo, or whatever the hell he was wearing washing over her, clouding her senses.

“I’m trying to help you,” Heero said. He released her elbow and carefully turned her around so she was facing him. Relena stared hard at his chest, avoiding his gaze, still trying to remember what she was upset about. 

The memory of Sylvia slipping in Relena’s vomit crept into her mind, and a lightbulb turned on in her brain. 

“You slept with Sylvia!” she cried, poking him in the chest with her finger. Heero recoiled, staring at her with a bemused expression. 

“Where on Earth did you get that idea?” Heero asked. 

“Well, she said… something… and then the others said… ya know… the same thing,” Relena stuttered. 

“You’re not making any sense, Relena,” he said, guiding her towards her bedroom. “Come on, let’s get you in bed to sleep this off.” 

“No!” She stomped her foot like a child. “Not until you admit what you did!” Heero’s expression hardened. 

“Relena,” he said, gripping her shoulders with his hands. “You know I would never sleep with her.” He seemed to grimace at the very thought. 

“But she said…” 

“She’s lying, then,” Heero said. 

“Then who _have_ you slept with?” Relena demanded. Heero’s face colored. 

“Bed,” he commanded. He gently nudged her across the threshold of her bedroom. She tried to resist, but her legs and arms felt like they were made of jelly. Relena stumbled towards her bed and plopped down, the bed bouncing with her weight. Heero lifted her legs and pushed them onto the bed. 

“You have to tell me. We’re friends, right? We can talk about this stuff…” Relena said, her eyes heavy. 

“Maybe later,” he said. And Relena dozed off before she could protest further. 

When Relena awoke several hours later, her head was pounding. A trickle of sunlight through her curtains was enough to send pain shooting through her eyes. She rolled over and pressed a pillow to her head, only to realize that there was someone else in bed with her. 

She lifted her head from under the pillow and saw Heero sitting beside her, propped up against the headboard, reading a pamphlet of some kind. Relena squinted hard, and saw the words “vibrator” among the printed words in the pamphlet. 

She screamed and yanked the paper out of his hands. 

“I was reading that,” he commented, staring at her. She tried to throw it across the room, but it simply fluttered to the ground. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I got hit by a Gundam,” she replied. Heero chuckled. “Why do I feel like I should be mad at you?” 

“No idea,” he said, not meeting her gaze. “I just brought you home.” Relena narrowed her eyes. 

“Oh, the Sylvia thing,” she said, pressing her hands to her face. “I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot.”

Heero reached over and pulled her hands away from her face, his callused hands circling her soft ones. 

“I don’t understand why you got so upset,” Heero said. 

“Because!” she cried. “Because I... “ Heero waited for her to continue. “Because _I_ want to be that person.” 

"What person?” 

Relena could have punched him. He was toying with her. 

“Fine. The person that you have sex with! I want to be that person!” 

Heero’s lips quirked into a smile, and he leaned closer to her and pressed his forehead against hers. 

“Why didn’t you say so?” he asked, his blue eyes gazing into her own. 

“Oh please. I can’t just… say that.” 

“You just did.” 

“Besides the point,” she muttered. “I didn’t know how to tell you about my feelings.” 

“Tell me now.” 

Relena took a deep breath, her heart hammering in her chest. “I just… I really care for you, Heero. I want more than friendship.” 

Heero smiled, his eyes glittering. A memory struck her-- Heero pulling her close, right before he blasted into battle against her brother. His eyes were the same now. 

“I want that, too, Relena,” he said after a pause. “You know I’m bad at expressing myself. Sometimes I need help.” 

Relena released a breath. She pressed her lips to his, a kiss which he turned full force. His arms wrapped around her and squeezed her against his chest. Relena’s hands reached up to grip his face before her fingers threaded themselves in his hair. His hands also tangled themselves in her hair, and he gave her long strands a slight tug as he deepened their kiss. Their lips parted briefly as they both moaned, and Heero pushed her back against her pillows. His kisses became more demanding, more aggressive, as he lowered himself to her. Warmth flowed over Relena, flooding her center, as their bodies pressed tightly together. She quickly became aware of his hardness pressing up against her thigh through his jeans. Impulsively, she reached down to touch him there, then pulled her hand away when she heard him suck in a sharp breath.

“Is that okay?” she whispered, wondering if she was going too fast. 

But Heero just kissed her again, his own hands roaming over her body. Relena realized with some embarrassment that she’d fallen asleep in her dress from Dorothy’s party, and only now did she notice just how flimsy the thing was. It took Heero mere seconds to undo the wrap-style belt and push the entire dress off of her, revealing her lingerie and tights. Relena was glad now she’d chosen a lacy blush-pink corset for the Galentine’s Day brunch, even though she never imagined anyone other than her would be seeing it. It had matched her dress and made her feel pretty. Now she relished seeing Heero’s expression as he looked her over.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, dropping his lips to her throat. Relena closed her eyes as he trailed kisses along her neck, down her chest, and into her cleavage. Meanwhile, his fingers gripped the top of her tights and tugged them down until they were all the way off. He flung them aside, his face darkening as he beheld her in just her bra and matching panties.

Relena shivered as he raked his gaze over her. Heero bent down towards her, reaching for her waist, but Relena gave him a playful push in the chest.

“Your turn,” she teased. “Fair is fair.”

Heero chuckled and loosened the collar of his shirt. Relena helped him along, unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the tank top he wore underneath. She pushed the shirt off of his arms, then Heero yanked the tank over his head and tossed it over the side of the bed. Relena scooted back on the mattress, taking a moment to marvel at Heero’s chiseled chest and abdomen. Tentatively, she reached out and trailed her fingers over his taut muscles. His abdomen contracted when she made contact, and he huffed a laugh. Their gazes met and held. He was smiling fully, his eyes shining, and Relena could only imagine how giddy she must look.

God, how long had she been waiting to do this? _Far too long..._

Her heart racing, Relena looped her arms around Heero’s shoulders and pulled him down for another kiss. They collapsed onto the bed together, their legs twining around one another. Heero’s hand dipped between her thighs, his warm touch teasing her sensitive area.

He pulled back to look at her. “Do you want to…”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

His eyes clouded. “You’re sure.”

Again, she was tempted to smack him. “Yes, Heero, I’m sure.”

A mischievous grin crept onto his face. He pulled away and reached over to her bedside table, picking up something that was a garish shade of pink. 

_The vibrator._

Heero’s lips twitched. “I think I understand the mechanics of this device. What do you say we give it a shot?” 

Relena laughed and cried at the same time, covering her hands with her face. The last thing she remembered was a buzzing noise, before it all became a pleasurable blur.

  
  


_The End_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to Rose and Wings for hosting this challenge, and to my partner in crime Scarlet_Eve for helping me pull off yet another citrusy adventure for this challenge! This is the unofficial sequel to Scarlet's amazing work, "Drinking Buddies" (which, if you haven't read yet, you seriously should!). Hope you enjoy! And happy belated Galentine's Day :D


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